THE VILE VILLAGE

In this seventh installment of the Series of Unfortunate Events, the orphaned Baudelaire children find themselves shuttled into another hostile environment, still plagued by the greedy yet incompetent Count Olaf. Tim Curry gives distinct character vocalizations without compromising the rich undertones of his voice. He keeps the tongue-in-cheek humor and mockery of this children's series refreshing rather than redundant. Curry reads the backstory from previous books clearly, so a listener unfamiliar with the earlier novels may understand this one. The morose guitar music and lyrics played by the Gothic Archies during tape transition add a finishing touch to a wholly enjoyable listening experience. J.M.P. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEPT 02]